There are two days that simply can't be forgotten when you're in a relationship: anniversaries and birthdays. What happens when Discord forgets one?
It's Twilight's birthday! Everypony is excited. Except Discord. It's not that he's not excited. He just...forgot. Can he make it up to Twilight before she returns?
It was a warm sunny day in Ponyville. Not that Discord would've known, seeing as how there is no sun in his interdimensional home.
It had been ten months since Discord and Twilight had started dating. Some ponies were a bit unsure of their relationship, but as time went on, the citizens of Equestria had learned to accept them.
Discord and Twilight couldn't have been happier.
Despite being in a relationship for almost an entire year, Discord still considered himself relatively new to the subject. Neither he nor Twilight had ever had any romantic entanglements prior to theirs.
They had both come a long way, but they still had much to learn.
~~~~~
Discord woke up on top of his floating couch. Gravity had never been an issue for him. The chaotic spirit stretched his mismatched arms above him.
"Oh, that does feel good." He ran his eagle claw through his black mane.
He floated away from his couch and into the kitchen. He opened his fridge, finding nothing but tennis balls.
He put a finger to his chin, "Hmm. Not really in the mood for a tennis ball diet."
With a snap of his fingers, the cupboards opened up, revealing nothing but gallons of chocolate milk.
He squinted his eyes, "Eh, save it for another time."
Discord could've simply summoned something to eat, but that would've been too easy.
He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. A lightbulb randomly appeared above his head, "Ah ha! I bet Ms. Sparky wouldn't mind if I dropped in on her. Oh, who am I kidding, of course she won't!"
With a flick of his tail fluff, the draconequus disappeared.
~~~~~
With a flash of light, Discord appeared in one of the many hallways of the Palace of Friendship. He looked both ways, each hallway looking exactly the same.
"You know, she really ought to label these things. Anypony could get lost in here. Good thing I'm not anypony." Discord smirked in his usual smug manner.
He snapped his fingers and teleported instantly to the throne room.
Only to find nopony there.
Discord groaned, "Okay, this might take longer than I thought."
He snapped his fingers once more and ended up in Twilight's room.
"Twilight dear, are you in here?"
He checked her bed but found it to be neatly made. He took another glance around her room and came to the conclusion that she wasn't in there.
Discord ran his paw down his face, "Alright, where's she? Maybe Spike knows."
Ever since Discord and Twilight had started dating, the baby dragon and draconequus had become good friends.
He teleported into Spike's room, finding the dragon-in-question sleeping in his bed.
Part of him wanted to blow a trumpet in his ear to wake him up, but he decided against it.
He silently made his way over to the sleeping dragon. But being Discord, he couldn't wake Spike up the boring, old-fashioned way.
Smirking slyly, Discord began talking in Twilight's voice. "Spike, Spike. Get up."
Spike began to stir, "Mmm, Twilight?" He croaked quietly, "I thought you left already."
Discord raised an eyebrow. Left?
Spike turned around to look at who he thought was Twilight.
"Morning, Twili - ACK!" Spike screamed as his eyes widened in surprise. "DISCORD?!" He fell off of his bed in shock.
Discord fell on his back, laughing wildly. "Oh, Spike, you should've seen the look on your face! Priceless!"
Spike rubbed his head, narrowing his eyes, "Hardy har har. You know, you almost gave me a heart attack."
Discord wiped a tear from his eye as his laughter began to subside, "Please, you're too young to have a heart attack. But, if that was a bit much, I apologize. I'll tone it down a smidge next time."
"Thanks."
"Just a smidge."
Spike huffed, "Figures. So, did you come here to greet her?"
"If by greet, you mean have breakfast with her, then yes, I have come to greet her." Discord nodded, not quite understanding what Spike meant.
"Oh, well, she's already left."
Discord raised an eyebrow, "Left? For where?"
"The Crystal Empire. She wanted to celebrate her birthday over there."
It took Discord ten seconds to fully register that statement. "Her what?"
Spike raised his eyebrow, "Birthday? You know what a birthday is, right?"
Discord furrowed his white eyebrows, "Of course, I do. Twilight's birthday is today?"
"Yeah?" Spike asked in questioning tone, "Didn't you know?"
Discord found himself speechless for once. He bit one of his talons.
"You're saying her birthday is today?"
"Yes."
"As in, today today?"
"Yes." Spike's tone gradually became annoyed.
"I thought it was on the fourteenth."
"Take a look at the calendar," Spike stated flatly, pointing to a calendar hanging on the wall.
Discord snapped the calendar over to him, looking at the date.
The draconequus scratched his head, "You're sure that's today's date?"
Spike groaned, "Ugh, yes, Discord. Today is May 14, the birthday of Twilight Sparkle."
Discord blinked, "When was she going to tell me this?"
Spike raised an eyebrow, "She did tell you. I was there when she told you."
Discord blinked again, "When was this?"
"Last Friday? At dinner? Ringing any bells?"
Discord stroked his goatee, "Last Friday, huh? Let me see."
He quickly vanished from Spike's room and found himself in the dining hall of the castle.
He saw himself, Twilight, and Spike having dinner together.
The past Twilight levitated a napkin to her mouth, "Wow, that spinach lasagna was quite good, Spike. Where did you learn how to make that?"
"I - "
Past Discord interrupted the little dragon, placing a proud claw on his chest, "From yours truly. I happen to own my very own cookbook." He summoned a cookbook with a picture of himself dressed as a chef, holding a spatula.
Twilight squinted at the title, "How to Cook the Chaotic Way? Since when are you a chef? Let me see that."
Much to Discord's chagrin, she pulled the book out of his hands with her magic and began examining it.
The purple alicorn inspected it closely. Her eyes narrowed skeptically as she looked back at him, "Where'd you get your inspiration? Canterlot?"
Discord scoffed, "Pfft, what makes you say that?" His eyes darted around the room.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, levitating the book high for both of them to see. "No wonder it tasted so good, Spike. The recipe is from Canterlot."
Spike blinked, "How do you know?"
Twilight tore off Discord's cover of the book and revealed the real cover title Canterlot Cuisine.
Discord sighed, laughing slightly, "Okay, you got me. I can't cook anything up. Except for chaos, of course." For added measure, a rumble of thunder suddenly echoed through the room as chocolate rain began to descend from the cotton candy clouds.
Spike hid behind Twilight as the chocolate began to soak into their coats.
Twilight sat on her chair with an unamused expression on her face, "Discord, now is not the time."
Discord stared at her for five seconds then shrugged, "Yeah, I guess you're right." He snapped his fingers, causing the cotton candy clouds to disappear.
Present Discord chuckled silently at his past self's antics.
Twilight shook herself clean from the sudden downpour, "While I may be able to tolerate your chaos more than I used to, there are times where I must put my hoof down. So, please, warn us next time when you do something like that?"
"But, that's what makes chaos so much fun! You never know what's going to happen next. " Discord bent down, giving her a smile.
Twilight rolled her eyes then smirked. Without warning, she leaned forward, pressing her muzzle against Discord's, catching him off guard..
Discord, despite being surprised, returned the kiss.
Spike turned away, covering his eyes, "Uh, could you, like do that somewhere that's not here? I'm only a baby dragon, after all."
They quickly pulled away, a slight blush on both their faces.
"Chaotic enough for you?"
Discord nuzzled her head, "That'll suffice."
Spike rolled his eyes, "Okay, seriously?"
Twilight giggled, "Sorry, Spike."
Discord smirked, crossing his arms, "Don't blame me. She started it." He spotted a cheese danish on one of the silver trays. "Oh! Cheese danish!"
Spike sighed, "Whatever. Hey, Twilight, your birthday's coming up soon."
Twilight chuckled, "Yeah, I know. I'm planning on spending it in the Crystal Empire. Spend some time with my family."
Spike gave a thumbs-up, "Oh, yeah, totally. You should definitely enjoy yourself."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Myself? You didn't think I'd leave you behind, did you?"
Spike waved a claw, "Nah, don't worry about it, Twilight. You enjoy time with your folks. Besides, I could use some personal 'Me Time.'"
Twilight chuckled, "I hope that doesn't involve six hours of comic book reading."
"What gave you that idea?"
Twilight shrugged, a smile on her face, "Well, if you don't want to come, I guess you don't have to."
Spike patted Twilight's hoof, "Don't worry about me, Twi. I'll take care of the palace while you're gone."
Twilight smiled, "Thanks, Spike. Discord, would you like to come with me?"
Discord was licking his fingers from the pastry he had just consumed.
Twilight cleared her throat, "Discord?"
The draconequus jumped suddenly, "Huh? What? Oh. Uh, no, I don't want to subscribe to Magic Monthly."
Twilight lifted a hoof, "But, that's not what I - "
"Well, this has been lovely. But, I really must take my leave. I shall see you again, my dear." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek then vanished.
Twilight rolled her eyes.
Spike chuckled, "Something tells me he wasn't listening."
Present Discord flashed back to the present.
His face was covered behind his paw.
Spike was in the same spot he was earlier, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Well?"
The chaotic spirit sighed, "Yes, you did tell me. I was...a little busy with a cheese danish."
Spike rolled his eyes, "I don't even wanna know."
Discord fell back against a chair, "How am I supposed to make it up to her? Is she coming back today?"
Spike shook his head, "She's coming back tomorrow, which gives us plenty of time to prepare."
Discord blinked, "Prepare? For what?"
Spike smirked, "There was a reason I didn't want to go with Twilight. If you want to make it up to her, then follow me."
Spike scampered out of his room.
Discord, though uncertain, followed the little dragon to whereabouts unknown.
Discord's ears tingled from the loudness of Rarity's voice.
He stuck a finger in his ear, "Ow! That hurt. Anyway, yes, I forgot. What exactly is the big deal?"
Rarity rolled her eyes, "Discord, you being Twilight's coltfriend should make today especially important."
Discord squinted his eyes, "Why? She has a birthday every year. If I miss this year, I can do something next year."
Rarity's hoof met her face as she shook her head, "Darling, you two have been dating for almost a year, and yet you are still so naive."
Discord crossed his arms, "Oh, what do you know about the subject?"
Pinkie snickered, "Do you know who you're talking to?"
Spike sighed dreamily, "Rarity knows everything about romance."
The white unicorn flipped her mane, "Not everything. But, I know some things. And, I know for a fact that you cannot forget birthdays. You're simply not allowed to."
Discord chuckled flatly, "And if I do, what will happen?"
Rainbow Dash returned his flat chuckled, "Heh, Twi might dump ya."
Discord turned quickly towards the pegasus, "What are you talking about? She'd never do that."
Applejack tipped her hat down, "Who's to say she won't?"
Discord opened his mouth to object but quickly closed it again.
He bit his lip as he ran a claw down his neck, "You don't think she'd actually do that, do you?"
Rarity shrugged, "It's hard to say. You both are relatively new to the whole relationship ordeal, but there is a good possibility that her feelings might be hurt."
Discord huffed, turning away, "It's not like I forgot on purpose."
Fluttershy patted his shoulder, "Of course not. And, I'm sure she won't be mad. She'll understand."
"And, if she doesn't?"
"Ya may have to find a new marefriend, " Applejack stated simply.
Discord held his head with a claw, "Well, how do you suppose I make it up to her?"
Spike smirked, "Well, that's why I brought you here."
"What do you mean?"
Pinkie Pie smiled widely, "Twi being away at the Crystal Empire gives us plenty of time to prepare!"
"For?"
Spike grinned, "We're planning a surprise party for Twilight. She has absolutely no idea."
Discord chuckled, "Pretty convenient that she's not here, huh."
Rarity wrapped a hoof around Spike, causing him to melt, "Actually, dear Spikey-Wikey is to thank for that."
The purple dragon turned a light shade of red as he waved a claw, "Aw, it was nothing."
Rainbow Dash scoffed, "It totally was something. Spike's the whole reason that Twi's away."
Discord raised an eyebrow, "How'd you manage to do that?"
Spike crossed his arms proudly, "I sent a letter to Cadence telling her about our plan. So, Cadence sent a letter to Twilight to see if she wanted to spend her birthday in the Empire. Naturally, Twilight accepted. So, since she's not here, we have time to prepare."
Discord patted Spike on the back, "Clever thinking there, dragonboy."
"Thanks. And, since you want to make it up to Twilight, you can be in charge of planning the party."
Pinkie Pie blinked twice then gasped loudly, "WHAT?"
Everypony turned to Pinkie.
Applejack sighed, "What is it now, Pink?"
Pinkie crossed her hooves and frowned, "Why does Discord get to plan the party?"
Fluttershy patted Pinkie's shoulder, "He wants to make it up to Twilight. But, you can help him."
Pinkie huffed, "I don't know."
Discord sighed dramatically, placing the palm of his claw on his forehead, "Oh, I understand. Pinkie cares more about parties then somepony else's feelings. It's okay. When Twilight breaks up with me, I won't blame her. I'll blame myself for carelessly neglecting such an important day. Not sure how I'll manage the heartbreak, but I can take it. It'll probably take months or years to return to my normal self. Oh, woe is me!"
Pinkie held out her hooves, "Alright, alright! You can plan the party. And, I thought Rarity was the drama queen."
Rarity flipped her mane, a loud HMPH coming from her lips.
Discord smirked, "I knew you'd see things my way. But, don't worry, Little Miss Pie. A party simply wouldn't be a party without your touch."
Pinkie gasped, a large smile on her face, "You mean I can help?"
"Naturally."
The pink mare pumped a hoof, "Yes."
Discord chuckled, running his paw down his neck, "Truth be told, I'm probably going to need a lot of help. I have never planned a party in my life. Well, not counting my parties of one."
Pinkie gently punched Discord's arm, "Don't you worry, Discord. This'll be one party Twilight won't forget."
"I hope so. Hopefully, she's not mad at me for forgetting."
Fluttershy gave Discord a smile, "I'm sure she's fine. She's spending time with her family."
Discord sighed, "True. Now, let's get planning."
~~~~~
Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire, the entire royal family was celebrating twenty years of life for Twilight Sparkle.
The Crystal Castle was certainly a lively place on this particular day. Games had been planned by Twilight's mother. Cadence and Shining Armor had a fabulous dinner prepared.
At last, the presents were given to the Princess of Friendship.
Twilight smiled as she unwrapped Cadence's gift. She gasped in delight at the contents.
"A first edition of Harmonic Theory?! Cadence, where did you find this?"
Cadence grinned, "You'd be surprised at the number of rare books found here."
Twilight wrapped her hooves around her sister-in-law, "Oh, thank you, Cadence! You're the best."
The pink alicorn gladly returned the hug, "Anything for you, little sis."
The two alicorns broke apart. Twilight glanced around at all of the gifts she had received.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna gave Twilight a brooch made of pure amethyst, a gem with magical properties that could replenish a unicorn's magic.
"Even somepony as powerful as you can become weary. Use it wisely, Twilight."
Twilight Velvet and Night Light had given their daughter a locket with a picture of their family.
"That locket first belonged to your great great great grandmare. We have just changed the picture. It is very special. So, you better take care of it, young filly."
Shining Armor had been the last one to give a present. It was a photo album. Pictures of Twilight from the first day she was born up until her coronation.
"Technically, this if from all of us. I couldn't put this all together myself."
The last page had a note on it.
It's hard to believe that twenty years ago you were but a little foal. We still remember feeding you, changing your diaper, and listening to the most adorable laugh. Now, look at you, you're a fully grown mare. We always knew you were special. And, now so does all of Equestria. Our little Twilight is now Princess Twilight Sparkle. You have great friends, and ponies all around love you for who you are. We love you so very much. Continue to make us proud. Your Loving Family
Twilight wiped her eyes as she finished reading. She looked at her family with a smile.
"Oh, I love you guys, too."
A group hug was inevitable, but Twilight wouldn't have it any other way.
Soon, the fun began to wind down. Pleasant conversation filled the air as the family talked.
"So, Twilight, are you planning on celebrating with your friends?" Celestia asked.
Twilight shrugged, "We might do something small, considering I already had a party here."
Cadence giggled, "Well, I'm sure Pinkie Pie will come up with something."
The Princess of Friendship joined her in giggling, "I'm sure she will."
"I'm surprised they didn't come with you, " Velvet mused.
"Well, they wanted to. But, they didn't want to, according to Rarity, 'intrude on my family affairs.' But, knowing them, we'll probably wind up doing something."
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, "What about Discord?"
Twilight frowned, "What about him?"
"Did he greet you a happy birthday?"
"Shining..." Cadence put a hoof to her face, shaking her head.
"Well, did he?"
Twilight shook her head, her eyes narrowing, "No, I left quite early. He wouldn't have had time to."
Shining huffed, "If he was a good coltfriend, he would've gone out of his way to wish you a happy birthday."
Twilight groaned, "Ugh, Shiny, what do you have against him? You've been like this ever since I started dating him."
"Well, I'm sorry, Twily. But, I don't think somepony as special as you should be dating someone like him."
A lavender hoof met Twilight's face, "Shining Armor, I am perfectly capable of choosing who I want to date. Discord and I have been happy together. Why can't you accept that?"
She turned to the Princesses, "Princess Celestia, you were a bit skeptical about me and Discord being together, right?"
Celestia nodded, "I will admit that I was shocked to hear that you two were actually courting. But, Discord's behavior has definitely improved since his betrayal. He may still be a pain sometimes, but I can tolerate his antics more so than I used to."
Twilight gave a hopeful grin to her brother, "See, Shiny? Princess Celestia has accepted us. Why can't you?"
Cadence put a hoof onto her husband's shoulder, "Yes, Shiny, you should learn to accept your sister's decision. In fact, I'll have you know that Discord came to me about a year ago asking for romantic advice."
"He did?" Shining Armor and Twilight asked in unison, both equally surprised.
Cadence nodded, giggling, "Yes, you should have seen him that day. He was acting like a shy little colt afraid to tell the cute girl next to him that he liked her. It was actually quite funny." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, he came to me and told me that he had feelings for you, Twilight. He wanted to know how to deal with them. I simply told him to tell you. To let his heart direct him. And, it would seem that he took my advice."
The white colt furrowed his eyebrows, "So, that's what you were talking about that day. I remember."
Twilight smiled, a slight blush on her face, "Wow, I never knew that. He never told me. He had asked advice from my friends, too. I'm just glad he finally worked up the courage to tell me."
Luna smiled, "I remember monitoring a dream of his one night. You two were watching the sunset. Quite the romantic scene, I must say."
Twilight Velvet hugged her daughter, "I'm just glad my little girl found someone."
Night Light nodded, chuckling, "Not quite you who we saw you with, honey, but as long as you're happy, we're happy, too."
Twilight grinned, "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. Looks like Shining's the only objector."
Shining Armor sighed, rubbing the back of his head, "Look, Twily, I want to be happy for you. But, he's Discord. The Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. He betrayed us. What could you possibly see in him?"
Twilight looked down, trying to think of something to say. She then looked back up at him.
"I see someone who's genuinely sorry for the things he had done. You didn't see Discord after Tirek drained me of my magic. After feeling how painful betrayal and losing someone he thought was a friend can be, he realized that he had made a mistake. Because of his actions, he wound up losing not only friendship but his magic as well. He didn't want that to happen again. True Discord may have started out on the wrong path, but after seeing how powerful friendship really is, he changed."
Twilight took a breath, a smile on her face, "And, as time went on, Discord and I gradually became good friends. I could honestly call him my friend. Life with him around was never dull. I never know what he's going to do next. He turned out to pleasant company, and soon, I began to fall for him. I didn't want to admit it, but it turns out admitting my feelings was one of the best decisions I ever made."
Each pony in the room grew silent.
Cadence put a hoof to her heart, "If that isn't the speech of somepony who's genuinely in love, I don't know what it is."
Night Light nudged his son, "Well, son, your sister is convinced she's found the one. And, after hearing that eloquent speech, I'd say she has me convinced."
Velvet hugged Twilight, "You got your way with words from me, Twily."
Shining Armor stared at Twilight for several minutes. Finally, he gave a sigh.
He walked over to her, sitting down next to her. "Twilight, as your older brother, you know I'm going to look out for you."
Twilight nodded but remained silent as her brother continued to speak.
"And, well, Discord is definitely someone I should keep an eye on."
Twilight furrowed her eyebrows, opening her mouth to speak.
Shining held up a hoof, "Let me finish. I still plan on keeping an eye on him. If he were to have a relapse, he could go back to his evil ways."
Twilight rolled her eyes.
"But, I will keep it discreet. I know that you two like each other. Maybe even love at this point, I don't know. If you feel happy and content with him, then who am I to keep you two apart? You're not my little sister anymore. You're a grown princess who can take care of herself. I guess I'm still learning to get used to that."
Twilight smiled with tears in her eyes, "Oh, Shining." She gave her brother a big hug, "I'll always be your little sister, and you'll always be my big brother. That won't change no matter how old I get."
The white unicorn smiled, wrapping his hoof around her, hugging her tight. "Thanks, Twily. I can't say I fully support you two yet, but I'm willing to try."
Twilight pulled away, her hooves still on his chest, "I guess that's the best I can get. Thanks, BBBFF."
Cadence walked over to her husband and sister-in-law, sitting between them and wrapping her wings around the both of them. "I'm glad you two finally were able to come to an understanding."
She kissed Shining Armor on the cheek.
He chuckled, "Thanks, Cady. Were you that in love with me?"
Twilight giggled as Cadence shoved Shining.
"Oh, I'd say I was. Maybe more so. But, honestly, who wouldn't be in love with a stallion like you?" She leaned into his chest.
Shining Armor gave her a kiss on her head, "I'm certainly glad you were."
Celestia smiled, "Well, this has certainly been a wonderful evening. But, it is almost time to raise the moon. After all the fun we've had tonight, I think we all deserve a good night's rest."
Luna nodded, "Yes, I wish all of you pleasant dreams. Come, my sister, the night awaits."
With that, the two Royal Sisters flew off to welcome the night.
After bidding her family good night, Twilight went to her room.
She smiled as she thought about her day, and a certain draconequus that had been the subject of conversation that evening.
"Good night, Discord."
Off in Ponyville, resting against a crystal pillar, Discord wiped his brow, exhausted from all the party planning that had taken place that day.
A soft voice whispered in his ears.
Good night, Discord.
He blinked but then a smile slowly spread across his face, "Good night, Twilight."
The Palace of Friendship usually wasn't a busy place. Since Princess Twilight had no royal staff or a royal guard, the castle was relatively quiet.
But, not today.
The Element Bearers were scrambling all over the castle, trying to get the place ready for Twilight's surprise party.
And, Discord being in charge of the planning made him incredibly busy as well.
Discord floated through the air, a checklist in his paws. He had seen Twilight make one a bunch of times, so he tried making one himself.
"Let's see. First on the party planning agenda: Surprise Twilight."
He blinked, then squinted at the writing, "That can't be right. She's not even coming back until tomorrow."
He tore off the paper and crinkled it up then snapped his fingers, making it disappear.
He sighed, "Note to self. Don't try making a checklist again. The Spirit of Chaos using something to organize? What was I thinking? I'll have Spike handle it for me. Spike!"
Spike's voice echoed from down the hall, "What do you want, Discord?"
"I need you to be my checklist buddy. I'm not real good at it."
The sound of little feet pattered against the crystal floor.
Spike came running towards Discord, a checklist in one claw and a quill in the other.
He smirked, "I had a feeling you'd need help with that, so I took the liberty of making one up for you. Lucky for you, I've had plenty of experience when it comes to making checklists."
Discord chuckled, "And, that's the exact reason I asked for you. So, dragonboy, what's first on the list?"
Spike looked down at the clipboard, "Let's see. First, we should check on the Cakes. They're baking Twilight's cake."
Discord grinned, "Checking on food, first? I like how you think, Spike."
With a snap of his fingers, the two quickly found themselves standing in front of Sugarcube Corner.
Spike raised an eyebrow, looking up at Discord, "Why didn't you just teleport inside like you usually do?"
The draconequus shrugged, "Twi says I should stop suddenly appearing everywhere. It's not as entertaining, but I'm willing to listen to her. Mostly."
The purple dragon chuckled, "Well, I'm glad you took her advice."
The two entered the sweet shop, causing the bell to ring.
Mrs. Cake was up at the counter with Baby Pumpkin on her back.
She looked towards the door to see Discord and Spike coming inside.
"Oh, Mr. Discord! Spike! Come on in." She waved a hoof, gesturing for them to come over.
Discord floated over to the counter, "It's just Discord, Mrs. Cake. 'Mr.' makes me sound like some sort of elementary school teacher. Blech!" He stuck his tongue out.
Mrs. Cake bowed her head, "Oh, sorry, Mr. - I mean, sorry, Discord."
"There's no need to be so tense, Mrs. Cake." Spike climbed up Discord's back then hopped up onto the counter. "Discord's cool now. You can trust him."
Discord nodded, a grateful smile on his face, "Thanks, Spike. You have no need to be afraid, Mrs. Cake. We're just here to check up on Princess Twilight's cake, if you don't mind."
Her concerned expression softened. She let out a sigh, a small smile on her face. "Oh, yes, of course. I apologize."
At that moment , Pumpkin began sucking on her mother's ear.
Mrs. Cake cringed, "Pumpkin honey, please let go of Mommy's ear."
The little unicorn gave a cute giggle, which was mumbled due to her mouth being full.
Discord placed his paw on his hip and raised his eagle claw, "Allow me." He snapped his finger, and a pacifier suddenly found itself in Pumpkin's mouth.
The baby unicorn looked at it oddly for a moment but then realized she liked it and began sucking to her heart's content.
Mrs. Cake looked at her pacified baby. She chuckled, "I can't believe we never tried that. Thank you, Discord."
Discord smiled, "Think nothing of it. Now, about that cake?"
~~~~~
"Now, that is a cute cake." Discord stated affectionately as he looked at the cake.
A picture of Twilight smiling happily with her wings spread out covered the birthday cake.
Mr. Cake chuckled, "Glad you think so. And, it's buttercream frosting, Princess Twilight's favorite."
Spike licked his lips, reaching a claw out, "And mine."
Discord smacked his little claw away, "Spike."
"But, it's buttercream frosting!" He held out his claws in front of him.
"And, it's for Twilight." Discord raised an eyebrow.
Spike sighed, "And, it's for Twilight." He took another look at the cake and sighed again. "Fine. Let's get it into the fridge back at the castle."
Discord took the silver platter in his mismatched hands.
"Why don't you just teleport it?"
Discord shrugged, "Well, I don't know about you, Spike, but I feel like walking today. I hardly ever walk, and I could use some Vitamin D."
Spike stared at him for a few seconds then shrugged, "Whatever."
"Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. We'll make sure this cake's taken care of." Discord smirked, waving a paw.
Mr. Cake waved a hoof, "We hope you do. Greet the princess for us."
"Will do."
With that, Spike and Discord began the journey back to the palace.
Discord breathed in a whiff of fresh air, "Ah, now that is refreshing. You know, I really should get out more. Twi and I are definitely going to be having more picnic dates in the future."
As the two neared the castle, they ran into Daisy. Literally.
The cake slipped out of Discord's hands and into the air.
Spike gasped, grasping his head in panic, "The cake! Discord, save it!"
Discord calmly picked himself off, dusting his fur, "Oh, cool your scales, Spike. It's fine. Look." He gave a smug grin as the cake floated in midair.
Spike wiped his brow, "Phew. That would've been a disaster. Never thought I'd say this, but it's a good thing you're the Spirit of Chaos."
Discord rubbed his talons against his fur, "Yes, that it is. Chaos is not always a bad thing. Glad Ms. Sparky's managed to learn that."
"Ugh."
The two looked off to the side to see Daisy lying dazed on the ground, flowers spread out everywhere next to an overturned basket.
Spike cringed, "Oops. Heh, sorry, Daisy. Didn't mean to run into you."
The pink mare sat up, rubbing her head, "Oh, it's okay, Spike." She looked at the flowers around her and sighed, "Well, I better get these daisies picked up."
Discord waved a claw, instantly putting all of the daisies back into the basket. "Way ahead of you."
Daisy grinned, "Hey, thanks, Discord." She grabbed the basket handle in her mouth and hauled it onto her back.
She then spotted the floating cake.
She pointed to it with her hoof, "Who's the cake for?"
"Twilight. It's her birthday today, " Spike explained.
Discord nodded, "Yes, it is. And, we really must be going. That surprise party ain't gonna plan itself."
The two began to walk off.
"Wait!"
They turned around.
Daisy had the basket handle in her mouth again. She set it down and slid it towards them.
"Consider it a gift for the princess."
Spike smiled, grabbing the basket, "Really? Thanks, Daisy!"
The flower mare grinned, "Don't mention it. Bye!"
With that, Daisy walked away from them.
Discord huffed, snapping the cake back into his hands, "While that was a nice gesture, we've been wasting time. I don't feel like walking anymore. Let's blow this pop stand."
Spike grasped the handle tightly as Discord's magic teleported them away, leaving a loud POP as they disappeared, startling many of the ponies nearby.
~~~~~
The two reappeared in the throne room, surprising Applejack and Rarity who happened to be in there.
"DISCORD?" Rarity shrieked, holding a hoof to her chest.
Spike shook off the temporary dizziness from the teleportation and shot a glare at Discord. "Didn't you just..."
Discord smirked, "I know. But, that doesn't mean it's not fun!"
Applejack adjusted her hat, furrowing her eyebrows, "Glad we can entertain ya."
Discord chuckled, "Oh, you ponies always entertain me. That's why I enjoy hanging out with you so much."
Rarity huffed, "Not sure if we should take that as a compliment or not."
"I would. So, we got the cake. Erase that off the list, Spike."
Spike raised an eyebrow as he checked off the first item on the list, "I assume you mean check."
Discord shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat. What do you have next?"
The purple dragon set his quill on the second item on the list, "Let's see. Decorations. How's that coming along?"
Rarity flipped her mane, smiling, "I think you'll find it going splendidly. Pinkie and I make a surprisingly good team, as strange as that may sound. The dining hall is finished. You two may take a look if you so desire. Right now, we're working on decor for this throne room here."
Applejack shook her head, amused, "I still say there's no need. We ain't havin' the party in here, Rarity. Save yerself the trouble, will ya?"
Rarity scoffed, "Oh, Applejack, you just don't understand. Everything must look perfect. Twilight is a princess after all. She deserves the best."
Applejack crossed her hooves, "Not sure if she'd agree."
The white unicorn rolled her eyes, "And, what exactly are you accomplishing sitting here, Applejack?"
Spike raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, A.J., weren't you taking care of the food?"
Applejack chuckled flatly, "I was. But, then Pinkie barges in and knocks over a full bag of flour. She's in the kitchen cleanin' up the mess now. I woulda helped, but she insisted she do it herself."
Discord stifled a laugh, "I don't know if I would've trusted her to be left alone."
Applejack waved a hoof, "She can handle herself. Pinkie may be a bit rowdy, but she's still a full grown mare. Even though I do question it every now and then."
Spike coughed, "Well, we better get moving. There's still a lot to do."
Discord turned to him curiously, "There is?"
Spike chuckled flatly, shooting Discord a deadpan look, "Uh, duh. Yeah? What, you didn't think planning this thing was gonna be easy, did you?"
Discord's eyes darted from side to side, "And if I did?"
Spike walked towards the door, "Then you've got another thing comin. Let's go."
Discord put his hands on his thighs, "Excuse me? I thought I was the one in charge." He quickly chased after the little dragon.
~~~~~
Discord and Spike had just finished examining the dining hall and were moving towards the kitchen.
Spike looked down at his clipboard, "Huh. Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought."
Discord smirked triumphantly, "Yes, and I do believe I remember saying that. Leave this to the professionals, kid."
Spike scoffed, "What professionals? I don't see any professionals."
The draconequus rolled his eyes, "You're hilarious, Spike, you know that? You would do very well in the comedic business."
Spike grinned, "Thanks. I try my best."
Discord grabbed the checklist from out of Spike's claws, "Although your ability to detect sarcasm needs some work."
"Huh?"
Discord waved a paw, "Never you mind, Spike. So, we got the cake and checked the decorations."
Spike nodded, "Yup. We're just going to check on Pinkie Pie real quick."
"Is that really a good idea?"
"...possibly?"
Discord sighed, "I don't understand how one pony can be so...chaotic, and it's like she's not even trying."
Spike raised an eyebrow, "Don't you like that?"
"Well, in most cases I would, but there's something about Pinkie that just gives me the chills. And, I rarely if ever get the chills."
Spike chuckled, as they neared the kitchen, "Oh, relax, Discord. Pinkie may be strange at times, but she's relatively harmless."
As Spike was about to open the kitchen door, Pinkie's head popped through the door.
"Why are you guys talking about me?"
Spike and Discord exchanged worried glances.
Spike gulped, his claws behind his back, "You heard that?"
Pinkie's whole body emerged through the door, "No. But, I sneezed two times. That means that somepony nearby was talking about me."
Discord grinned innocently, "All good things, I assure you."
A wide smile spread across the pink mare's face, "Okie Dokie Lokie! If you're here to check the kitchen, it's all spick and span. Just the way Twi likes it."
The two peaked into the kitchen. It was clean all right. But, Spike noticed something different.
"We never had any carpet in here."
Pinkie giggled, "Well, duh. I installed it today."
Discord squinted his eyes, "How?"
She giggled again, "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Yeah, I would. Seriously."
"Well, I - " Suddenly, Pinkie began scratching her mane. "Uh oh, I'm needed in the throne room. Probably to help Rarity. See you two later."
She bounced off, leaving Discord and Spike alone.
"I'm not even going to ask."
~~~~~
"Let's see. Fluttershy's working with her bird choir to sing Happy Birthday to Twilight."
Discord nodded, "That's a good idea. I was planning on doing a solo, but you know, that works, too."
Spike chuckled, "No offense, but I think I'd prefer the birds."
Discord crossed his arms, "I'll have you know I've serenaded Twilight to sleep."
Spike raised a questioning eyebrow, "Really? Are you sure she wasn't half-asleep already?"
"Oh, what do baby dragons know? Twilight likes my singing, and frankly, I value her opinion more than I do yours."
Spike rolled his eyes, "Of course, Twilight would say that. She doesn't want to offend you."
Discord furrowed his eyebrows, "Aren't we supposed to be checking on Fluttershy?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry. We should get going."
With a snap of his talons, the two reappeared in front of Fluttershy's cottage.
Spike wobbled from side to side then fell to the ground. "I am never going to get used to that."
Discord waved him off, "Ah, you will eventually."
He knocked on the door, "Fluttershy? It's Discord and Spike."
The door opened, and they were greeted by not Fluttershy but Angel.
As soon as Angel laid eyes on Discord, he immediately began to close the door.
Discord held onto the door, preventing it from being closed, "Oh, come on, you're not still sore about the whole food incident, are you? It was all in good fun, I assure you."
Angel hissed at the draconequus.
Discord lowered his eyelids, "I don't have time for this. I am going to talk with Fluttershy to teach you some manners."
He pushed open the door and walked in, along with Spike, taking good care to shove the little rabbit away from the door.
Spike glared at the bunny, "I don't get how something so small could be so annoying."
"That makes two of us. Fluttershy?" He looked around for the yellow pegasus.
"I'm in the backyard." Fluttershy's soft voice called out from the backyard.
As they began to head towards the back door, they heard Fluttershy's bird choir chirping a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday.
Spike smiled, as they entered the backyard, "Wow, Fluttershy, that sounds amazing!"
At the sound of Spike's voice, the birds became startled and flew off into the trees.
Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth, "Oh, goodness. Please, come back." She looked over at Spike and Discord.
Spike scuffed his foot in the dirt, "Oops. Sorry for scaring your birds."
"You and your big mouth, Spike."
Spike glared at Discord.
Fluttershy smiled, "It's okay, Spike. We were about to take a break, anyway. How's the party planning coming along?"
Discord placed a proud paw on his chest, "It's coming along spectacularly. But, that is to be expected, I am quite the party planning expert."
Spike coughed.
Discord raised an eyebrow, "You need a cough drop, Spike?"
"No, I'm good."
Fluttershy lifted a hoof shyly, "Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but is there anything else you need? It's almost feeding time."
Discord raised a hand, "Oh, I can do it!" He neared the chicken coop, but the chickens inside instantly scrambled away from him.
The draconequus huffed, "What's their problem?"
Fluttershy flew over next to Discord, "Um, no offense, Discord, but I don't think the animals trust you yet. Sorry, I'll get them to understand."
Discord crossed his arms, "Typical. Well, if there's nothing left to do, then I guess we should take our leave. See you later, Fluttershy. Bring some lemonade."
Fluttershy smiled, "I will. See you two tomorrow."
With that, Discord and Spike vanished in a flash of white light, startling the animals nearby.
"Oh, dear."
~~~~~
As soon as Discord and Spike entered the castle, they were instantly met up by Rainbow Dash.
"Oh, Spike! Discord! There you are. Want to see how the cloud statue is coming along?"
Spike grinned and nodded, "Oh, yeah, that sounds great."
Discord raised an eyebrow, "A cloud statue?"
Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves, rolling her eyes, "Sheesh, Discord, what's up with you not listening lately?"
The draconequus' eyebrows furrowed, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Spike sighed, placing a claw on his head, "We discussed it at the meeting. You must not have been paying attention...again."
Discord thought back to the meeting in question. Suddenly, he remembered, "Oh, now I remember. You're making it out of the same stuff that Cloudsdale is made of, right? See, I was listening. It just happened to slip my mind."
"Suuuure, Discord. Anyway, it's almost ready. Come on, I'll show you. It's in the library."
The cyan pegasus flew down the hall with Discord and Spike trailing behind her.
Soon, they found themselves in Twilight's library.
Rainbow pushed the door open, "Feel free to criticize. Though, after you see it, I doubt you'll have much to say."
The two walked through the doors, and both their jaws dropped.
A statue of Twilight with her wings fully extended and her mane blown back as if in the wind stood before them.
Rainbow Dash smirked proudly, "Yeah, no words. Thought so."
Spike looked at the blue pegasus, "Did you do this all by yourself?"
Rainbow scoffed, "Hay no, there's no way I could accomplish something like this. I mean, I am awesome, but I'm not afraid to ask for help, especially from the professionals."
From behind the statue, three Wonderbolts emerged: Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot.
Discord's and Spike's jaws dropped a second time.
Spitfire chuckled, "When Rainbow Dash said today was Princess Twilight's birthday, we agreed to help her make this here beauty."
Soarin nodded, smiling, "Yeah, although, Rainbow came up with the design."
The draconequus and dragon looked over at Rainbow, whose cheeks had turned a light shade of crimson.
"Well, it was a team effort, really."
Discord bent down, whispering in Spike's ear, "Dash isn't taking the credit for herself? Methinks somepony has a crush."
Spike chuckled, "I know, right?"
Fleetfoot rubbed her hooves together, "And, besides, it's the least we could do after trying to make you join Cloudsdale's team instead of Ponyville's."
Rainbow waved a wing, "Don't worry about that. All is forgiven. And, I'm not one to hold a grudge."
Discord chuckled, raising an eyebrow, "Since when?"
Her eyes narrowed, "Hardy har. Well, you two have seen the statue. So, there's nothing else here for you to do. So, shoo."
Discord held up both of his hands, "All right, all right, I know when I'm not wanted. Let's take our leave, Spike. Have fun, Rainbow." He winked at her.
Rainbow's eyes widened as her cheeks reddened again. Quickly, she sent a nasty glare in Discord's direction. "Good bye, Discord."
With a loud laugh, Discord left the room with Spike following closely behind.
"What was that all about?" Soarin asked, standing next to Rainbow.
Rainbow's blush intensified as she chuckled nervously, "Oh, that's just Discord. So random. Heh. Heh."
~~~~~
The moon rose high into the sky, ending another day.
Much to the relief of Discord, who was, as Applejack would say, "plumb tuckered".
The party planning had taken much longer than he ever thought possible, much to his dismay.
But, this was more proof of his reformation. If he had been his old self, he would have never dreamed of planning a party for a pony. Why would he?
And, he especially wouldn't have taken part in any manual labor.
Now that he was reformed and had a marefriend, all of his hard work would definitely be worth it.
Discord stared at the purple present in his hands.
"Well, Twi, if this doesn't make up for forgetting your birthday, I don't know what will."
He looked over at picture of himself and Twilight. He picked up it up, staring at it with great affection.
He smiled, stroking the picture gently, "Don't worry, Twilight. I won't forget your birthday ever again."
With that, he snapped his fingers, turning the light off.
He sighed contently, imagining the surprised look on Twilight's face.
Discord was up bright and early the next day. Even though Twilight was scheduled to arrive on the nine o'clock train, he wanted to make sure everything was perfect.
He headed over to the Palace of Friendship and marched into Spike's room, not caring that the dragon was still asleep.
"Spike, Twilight is going to be arriving in a few hours. Are you sure everything is ready?" He looked over at the baby dragon who hadn't stirred yet.
Discord rolled his eyes, "Oh for the love of - Spike, wake up!"
He summoned a bucket of water and dumped its contents onto the sleeping Spike, immediately waking up.
"ACK! DISCORD!"
Discord crossed his arms, "I'm sorry, but I need you up. Now, come on, we've got to rally the girls."
Spike shook himself dry, shooting a nasty glare in Discord's direction. "Don't let them suffer the same fate I did."
The Spirit of Chaos smirked, "If they get up in time, they won't. Let's go."
With a snap of his fingers, the two disappeared.
~~~~~
About an hour later, the Element Bearers excluding Twilight were seated in the throne room.
Three of them were still somewhat asleep while two of them were wide awake - no thanks to Discord, obviously.
Discord occupied Twilight's throne and set his mismatched hands on the Cutie Map.
"Alright, ladies. At approximately 0900 hours, Princess Twilight will be arriving, meaning everything has to be perfect. Now, I normally don't want everything to be perfect, but in this instance, I'll allow it. So, I will be escorting Twilight to the dining hall. In the meantime, you mares are going to keep everything in order. Can you do that?"
Applejack chuckled, rubbing her eye, "Kinda sounds weird hearing you say to keep things in order."
Discord grimaced, "And, you have no idea how weird it sounds saying it. Blech! But, this is for Twilight. I'm willing to bend when it comes to her."
Pinkie placed both hooves on her cheeks, "Awwww. That's so sweet."
Rarity huffed, "I would agree, but I am still quite peeved with you, Discord. You ruined my mane. Now, it's all damp."
Rainbow Dash sent Discord a glare, "Ditto on that. Not the whole mane thing, but the peeved part. I was having this awesome dream about me as Daring Do, and you woke me up before I escaped. Now, I'll never find out if I survived."
"You two can beat me up later. Right now, we need to make sure everything is ready."
Rarity flipped her mane, "Though the urge is rather strong, a lady does not strike back in anger."
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, "This lady will."
Fluttershy frowned at her fellow pegasus, "Rainbow Dash, be nice. Discord just wants to make sure everything will work out okay. There's no need to get violent."
Discord grinned, "Yes, Dash, listen to Fluttershy. And, if it's any consolation, I apologize to the both of you."
Rarity sighed, her eyes softening, "Well, if you're apologizing, I suppose it wouldn't be right of me not to forgive you."
Rainbow groaned, "Okay, fine, I forgive you, Discord. Just don't make a habit of waking me up like that again."
"I make no promises."
Spike cleared his throat, "Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but it's already quarter to nine."
Discord quickly turned to Spike, "What? Says who?"
Spike quirked an eyebrow, "That clock up there?"
And, sure enough, there was a clock right above the double doors. And, the time was indeed 8:45.
Discord slapped his forehead, "Great. Okay, I'll stall her. You all get everything ready. Spike, here."
He threw a small pearly white ball at the little dragon who scrambled to catch it.
Spike held it up in front of his eyes, squinting at it, "What is this thing?"
Rarity's eyes sparkled, "Oh, it's certainly stunning. Is that a pearl, perchance?"
Discord shook his head, "It's just your way of contacting me. Just rub it, and it will send a message to this baby right here." He held up a larger version of the ball in Spike's claws.
Spike shrugged and rubbed it. When he rubbed it, Discord's face appeared crystal clear on the little ball.
Discord waved, "I see you."
Rainbow zoomed over to Spike and looked at item in his hands, "Okay. That's cool. It's like a crystal ball or something."
Discord rubbed his nails on his fur, "Yes, yes, it is. Now, use that to tell me when you're ready."
Spike gave him a thumbs up, "Will do."
A light blue aura surrounded the orb, and it floated out of Spike's grasp.
"Hey! What - "
Rarity smiled, "Oh, Spikey dear, allow me to take that for you. I'm sure you'll be busy. I don't want you to burden yourself with so much work."
"But - "
Rarity put a hoof on his shoulder, batting her eyelashes at him, "Please, Spike."
Spike sighed dreamily, a goofy smile spreading across his face, "Uh, s-sure thing, Rarity."
She giggled, "Thank you, Spikey boo."
Discord rolled his eyes, immediately vanishing.
~~~~~
Princess Twilight looked out of one of the windows on the train, the wind whipping her mane back. She sighed contently as Ponyville came into view.
She could already see her castle, the sunlight reflecting off of the crystal spire.
She pulled her head back inside, smoothing out her windblown mane. She closed the window with her magic and sat back in her seat.
She thought back to the evening before, reminiscing the fun that had occurred, as well as the conversation that had taken place.
Truth be told, Twilight was looking forward to seeing Discord. He hadn't greeted her on her birthday, but she was sure when she arrived he'd greet her and go all out. That was just the kind of being he was.
"Next stop: Ponyville. Please gather your belongings and swiftly exit the train. Have a wonderful day." The conductor's voice announced over the loudspeaker.
Twilight gathered her saddlebags and waited for the train to stop completely.
When it did, Twilight maneuvered past the other passengers and made her way to the train exit.
As she stepped onto the platform, a bright smile crossed her face as her eyes set upon none other than the Spirit of Chaos himself.
He waved to her, a similar smile on his face.
She trotted over to him.
Twilight smirked, one eyebrow raised, "I guess someone couldn't wait to see me."
Discord wiggled his eyebrows, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, my dear. And, every minute away from you was but torture to me."
Twilight giggled, as she flew up next to him, "Corny. But, it'll do." She gave him a tiny peck on the cheek.
Discord wrapped his lion paw around her, hugging her tightly, "Oh, you want more? Why, I'd be glad to."
He cleared his throat and spoke in the cheesiest dramatic voice, "But soft. What light from yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Twilight is the sun."
Twilight blushed as Discord spoke in a not so quiet manner. The passing ponies giggled at the sight of the draconequus hamming it up.
"Uh, Discord?" She whispered, "Ponies are staring."
Discord scoffed, "You think I care? Unlike you, I enjoy the attention." He inhaled, ready to recite more Shakespony.
"Okay, Discord." Twilight broke free of his embrace and flew back down to the ground. "Why don't we head back to the castle?"
Discord chuckled, "Why, that's an absolutely terrible idea, Twilight. You just spent a whole day in the Crystal Castle. Take a break from castles."
Twilight inched an eyebrow up just slightly, "You know that castle happens to be my home, right?"
"Of course, but don't we all get tired of staying at home? Let's do something. Anything in mind?"
Twilight's eyes narrowed, "What are you hiding, Discord?"
Discord chuckled again, curling around the alicorn, "My dear, I am guilty of hiding nothing. I just wish to spend some time with you. Is that so wrong?"
She sighed, a smile on her face, "No, I suppose not."
A grin spread across Discord's face, "Wonderful. Now, I don't know about you. But, I am feeling rather peckish. I heard that Breakfast, Brunch, and Dinner is doing well."
~~~~~
Meanwhile, at the Castle of Friendship, the five mares and dragon stood in the throne room, unsure of what to do.
Spike rubbed the back of his head, "So, uh, do you think everything is ready?"
Rarity shrugged, "I'm not aware of anything that needed to be finished."
Fluttershy hid behind her mane, "My birds are ready to sing. I mean, if you don't think they are, we can practice some more."
Rainbow Dash lounged in her throne, "The cloud statue's all done, so that means I'm done."
Applejack put a hoof to her chin, "Well, I guess ah could set up the food."
Pinkie raised a hoof, "And, I'll help you!"
Applejack squinted her eyes, "Uh, listen, sugarcube. While ah appreciate your help and all, ah really don't want a repeat from yesterday."
Pinkie frowned, "Aw, come on, A.J. When have I ever steered you wrong?"
Rainbow coughed, mumbling, "You really want us to answer that?"
Spike walked over to the two mares, "Uh, hey, Pinkie, can you bring all of Twilight's presents into the dining hall? They're in her library."
The pink mare saluted, "Sir, yes, sir!" She dashed out of the throne room, leaving a trail of smoke behind her.
Rarity stepped back, raising an eyebrow, "I will never understand that mare."
Spike crossed his arms, "I don't think any of us will."
Applejack trotted out of throne room, leaving the others behind.
Suddenly, the crystal ball began to vibrate.
Fluttershy, who had been standing next to it, jumped at the sound of the vibration.
Spike ran over to answer it, but Rarity beat him to it.
She picked it up in her magic, "Allow me, Spike." She smiled as she turned back to the pearly white orb. But, that smile soon became a frown of confusion.
Rainbow's eyebrows furrowed, "Well? What are you waiting for?"
"How do I - "
Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Oh, for ponies' sake."
Fluttershy raised a hoof, shyly. "I, um, think you're supposed to rub it."
"With?"
Spike sighed, "Your hoof, maybe?"
Rarity blinked, and soon realization dawned, "Oh, of course." She brought the orb closer to her and rubbed it with her hoof.
As soon as she did, the pearly surface of the ball changed, and Discord's face was clear as crystal.
Discord waved, "How're things?"
Rarity smiled, flipping her mane, "Fine. There's not much to be done, to be honest. Is Twilight with you?"
Discord quirked an eyebrow, smirking, "Uh, yeah? Her train arrived about half an hour ago. I think that'd be pretty obvious."
Rarity rolled her eyes, "No, I meant, is she near you?"
"Again, pretty obvious. No, of course not. I'm in the bathroom. We're just finishing up breakfast."
Rarity huffed, "Well, there's no need to be rude about it."
Rainbow smirked, flying over to Rarity, "I didn't think he was being rude. He was just stating the obvious."
Discord chuckled, "Obviously, Rainbow Dash. So, if you're all ready, should we head on over there?"
Rarity nodded, "Yes, you - "
*CRASH*
Rarity nearly lost her grip on the crystal orb.
Rainbow looked around frantically, "What the hay?"
Discord's eyebrows furrowed, "What was that?"
Rarity blinked nervously, "Uh..."
Spike jumped, snagging the ball from Rarity's magic hold, "We'll let you know as soon as we find out."
Discord narrowed his eyes, "Well, whatever it is, fix it. I gotta get back to Twi. Fix it and fix it soon."
Spike nodded, "Roger that."
With that, Discord's face disappeared, and the orb returned to normal.
Spike set the crystal ball down gently.
As soon as it was out of his hands, he panicked, "What in Celestia's name was that?!"
Rainbow Dash huffed, "Well, we're not going to find out just standing around. Come on, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy let out a squeal, "D-do I have to?"
The cyan pegasus groaned, quickly flying over to the timid mare, grabbing her hoof, and zooming off to locate the source of the crash.
Rarity and Spike cast each other worried glances.
"Oh dear, I hope nothing has happened."
"That makes two of us."
~~~~~
Rainbow and Fluttershy flew as fast as their wings could carry them.
Fluttershy blinked, then suddenly stopped mid-flight.
Rainbow flew along for another few feet before noticing her absence. She slowed down and turned around to see Fluttershy rubbing her hooves together nervously.
"Ugh."
Rainbow Dash zoomed back towards the yellow pegasus, "What is it now, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy bit her lip, "Uh, Rainbow Dash? Do you even know where we are going?"
The rainbow-maned pegasus gave an annoyed huff, "Well, of course, I do. We're going to check on Pinkie Pie."
"Why are you going to check on me?"
Rainbow and Fluttershy both squeaked in surprise at the sudden appearance of Pinkie.
"Pinkie Pie, what in Equestria did you do?"
Pinkie raised an eyebrow, an innocent expression on her face, "I didn't do anything. I'm going to check on what caused that big boom."
Fluttershy smiled, "We're going to check on it, too."
"Yes, and sitting around talking about it will help us figure it out so much faster, " Rainbow drawled, bearing a deadpan expression.
Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, "Well, if Pinkie didn't cause it, maybe something happened with Applejack?"
The threes mares nodded, taking off toward the kitchen.
~~~~~
Applejack rubbed her hooves nervously together, "Oh boy."
"Ap - plejack!" Pinkie's voice sang out.
The country pony jumped, "Uh, yeah?"
"A.J., you okay?" Rainbow burst through the door.
Applejack stood uncharacteristically still, bearing a forced smile, "Uh, sorta."
Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth, "Oh, what happened? Are you hurt?"
Pinkie bounced over to her, "Didja hurt your hoovsies?"
Applejack narrowed her eyes at Pinkie.
The pink mare stopped her bouncing, looking at her fellow earth pony with confusion. "Why are you narrowing your eyes at me?"
"Ah thought you said ya found all ah yer party cannons."
Pinkie's head tilted to the side, "Huh?"
Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves, "What's goin' on, Applejack?"
Applejack sighed, stepping to the side to reveal at least two dozen apple fritters lying on the ground.
Pinkie gasped in a loud, dramatic manner, "What did you do to the fritters?!"
Applejack's gaze hardened as her eyes met Pinkie's, "Ya know those party cannons you said ya got rid of?"
"Uh...yes?"
The orange earth pony lowered her eyelids, "Well, ya missed one. Wonderin' how I know? One went off while ah I was carryin' the tray of fritters. Scared the hay outta me, made me lose ma grip. And now, the fritters are on the ground."
Fluttershy rubbed her foreleg, "Can't you just make more?"
Applejack huffed, "Ah could, but, it'd take me, at least, two hours ta get these many fritters done."
Rainbow Dash groaned, running a hoof down her face, "Well, we'll have to go without them then. Discord's not gonna keep Twilight away forever."
Pinkie raised a hoof, "Oh, oh! I know! I know!"
"Yes, Pinkie?"
"The Cakes are having a special on all apple-related pastries in honor of Cider Season starting soon."
Applejack put a hoof to her chin, "That's not a bad idea."
Rainbow Dash gave a look of uncertainty, "Well, I guess. But, we'd have to get over there without Twilight and Discord noticing us."
Pinkie waved a hoof, "Don't worry. I'm a master at stealth mode."
"Fine. Pinkie, you and I are heading over to Sugarcube Corner. Applejack, Fluttershy, you two stay here."
With that, Rainbow Dash quickly grabbed Pinkie and zoomed off towards Sugarcube Corner.
Applejack and Fluttershy exchanged glances.
"So, what now?"
"Well, ah guess we - "
"AHHHHHHH!!!"
Applejack blinked, " - go check on Rarity. Come on, Fluttershy."
The two mares ran out of the kitchen.
~~~~~
Discord and Twilight were taking a walk beside Ponyville Lake. There were a few ponies along the lake's edge, each one enjoying the sunshine.
Twilight looked about with fascination, marveling at the beautiful day.
"Oh, it is so nice out today."
Discord walked with his hands behind his back, a bored expression on his face, "Yes, yes. It is quite nice. Excuse me, dear. I'll be right back."
Twilight turned to him, "Where are you going?"
Discord walked backwards, away from her. He held up his paw, "Nowhere special. I'll be back. Try not to miss me too much, kay?"
Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling, "I'll do my best."
Discord smiled then quickly ran away from her.
Twilight raised an eyebrow but quickly became distracted by a little filly asking for an autograph.
Discord ran behind a tree. He peeked around it, grateful to see Twilight signing an autograph and not looking in his direction.
He held up his crystal orb and rubbed it.
He waited a few seconds before the crystal surface bore Rarity's face.
A nervous grin was spread on her face, as her eyes were darting about slightly.
Discord frowned, "Rarity, your nervous look is not sitting well with me. What's happened?"
Rarity looked to her left briefly before turning back to Discord, "Oh, no. Everything is - "
She flinched as a soft crash echoed in the background, " - fine!"
The draconequus looked unconvinced, "It doesn't sound like everything's fine."
Rarity waved a hoof in dismissal, "Oh, don't worry, Discord. We'll have this minor mayhap remedied - "
Another crash sounded in the background.
" - soon."
Discord sighed, placing his eagle claw on his face, "How much time do you need?"
Rarity looked off to the side as another mare's voice could be heard, though only slightly.
She squinted her eyes, "What? Oh, all right." She turned back to Discord, "We'll, uh, let you know when we're ready."
Discord rolled his eyes, "Fine. But, please be quick about it. I think she's getting antsy."
Rarity nodded, "We're doing our best. Oh, and don't go near Sugarcube Corner."
"Why?"
Rarity smiled, waving a hoof, "Bye, Discord."
The crystal returned to normal.
Discord sighed, "Chaos ensues even when I'm not present." He suddenly brightened up, "Huh. Maybe these ponies aren't such big sticks-in-the-mud after all."
"Discord?"
Discord jumped, quickly hiding the ball.
He came out from behind the tree.
Twilight, upon seeing him, trotted over to him, "There you are. What were you doing?"
"Taking care of some business."
Twilight blanched, a disgusted look on her face, "Discord!"
Discord blinked. Upon realizing what she meant, his eyes widened.
"Oh, no. Please, I'm above that. It was all clean, I assure you."
Twilight snorted, "I'm going to take your word for it. Now, I don't know about you, but I really want to delve into my new Harmonic Theory. I'm ready to head home."
Discord scoffed, "Why are you so insistent upon going back to your stuffy castle? Get out. Stretch your wings. I'm in the mood for a good flight."
Twilight lowered her eyelids, "Discord."
"Come on." He hopped up into the air, flapping his wings, and hovered above the purple alicorn. "You need to use those babies more often. Never can get too much practice in, after all."
The Princess of Friendship rolled her eyes, "Fine." With a flap of her wings, she found herself airborne, hovering next to Discord.
"But, after this, we are heading back to the castle."
Discord nodded.
I hope.
~~~~~
Fluttershy flew up to one of the silk curtains, carrying a bucket of water. She poured its contents onto the flames, smothering them.
Rarity levitated a bucket of water over to the other curtain, putting out the fire.
"There. That should be the last of them."
Spike stood to the side, holding his tail shamefully, "I'm really sorry."
Applejack walked over to him, putting a hoof on his shoulder, "It's alright, Spike. It ain't your fault that when ya sneeze, ya sneeze fire.."
Spike rubbed his neck, "But, I should've been able to hold it in."
Fluttershy flew back down to the ground, "It's hard to control your sneezes. It was an accident."
Rarity huffed, "Besides, all that dust from the Memory Roots above would make anypony sneeze."
Spike sighed dejectedly, "Yeah, but now the curtains are ruined."
Rarity looked at the curtains sadly, "Yes, they are."
Applejack and Fluttershy both cleared their throats, glaring daggers at the white unicorn.
Rarity flinched, putting a hoof on Spike's shoulder, "I mean, yes, they are. But, it's easily repairable."
"Really?"
Rarity nodded then put a hoof to her chin, "It'll take me about a week to get them back to their former glory, but I can manage."
Spike slouched his shoulders, "Not sure if that makes me feel better."
Rarity hugged Spike, "Oh, not to worry, Spikey dear. We still love you. Accidents like this happen."
Spike gladly hugged her back, "Thanks."
At that moment, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash returned, each carrying a tray.
Pinkie held out the tray in front of her and opened the lid. A dozen apple fritters lay on the tray, still steaming.
"Voila! Fresh, piping-hot apple fritters. And, for no cost, too!"
Fluttershy put a hoof on her chest, smiling, "Oh, that was nice of the Cakes to do that."
Rainbow chuckled, setting her tray on the Cutie Map. "Well, Twilight being a princess has its perks."
Spike pointed to Rainbow, "Exactly! I only wish Twilight would see that more often."
Rainbow Dash looked around at the curtains, all soaked and torn up. "Whoa! What happened in here?"
Spike rubbed the back of his neck, "Don't ask."
Applejack raised a hoof, "Uh, so, are we done now?"
Pinkie nodded, "I think so! All we have to do is take these to dining hall and take the cake out. I'll go do that now!"
As Pinkie started to run, a light blue aura surrounded her tail, pulling her back.
Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. She levitated over the two trays of apple fritters in her magic.
"No offense, darling. But, we can't afford another accident. I'll take the cake out. Fluttershy dear, could you come with me?"
Fluttershy rubbed her foreleg, "Well, I kinda have to get my birds ready. I'm sorry."
"I'll help you, Rarity." Spike smiled hopefully.
Rarity stared at him for several seconds. "Try not to sneeze again, please?"
Spike gulped, "Uh...I'll try?"
"Very well then. Come on along, Spike. We don't want to keep Twilight and Discord away for too much longer."
With that, Rarity and Spike exited the throne room.
~~~~~
Discord flew through the air with Twilight beside him, a bored expression on his face.
He glanced over at Twilight to see that she had a similar look on her face.
"So, can we head back to the castle now?"
Discord bit his lip, "Um...TRY TO FIND ME!" Without warning, Discord shot up into the clouds above.
Twilight blinked, registering what just happened. She narrowed her eyes, "DISCORD!"
She flew up, scouring for the missing draconequus.
Discord, meanwhile, turned himself transparent. He sat on top of a cloud and hastily took out his crystal orb.
He rubbed it viciously, "Come on. Come on. COME ON!"
To his relief, Applejack appeared on the surface.
"Are you finally ready? Twilight is getting bored, and so am I. Please tell me you are ready!"
Applejack looked to the side as Rainbow's voice could be heard slightly.
The country mare looked back at Discord, "Uh, sure. Ya'll can come. But, ya might wanna take yer time."
"Why?"
Applejack's face was suddenly replaced by Pinkie Pie's.
"Pinkie!"
Pinkie giggled, "Tee hee! Sorry, A.J. But, I wanted a turn on the crystal ball. Hi, Discord!"
Discord rolled his eyes, "Hello, Pinkie. Now, why should we take our time?"
"To avoid any more accidents. We've been having quite a lot of them."
"PINKIE!"
Pinkie looked off to the side innocently, "What? I'm just being honest. Don't you like that?"
Discord cleared his throat, "Well, try to avoid causing any more accidents. We're going to head over - "
"DISCORD!"
" - aaaand that's my cue to vamoosh. Keep everything under control, please."
Pinkie saluted, "Sir, yes, sir."
The pink pony's face disappeared.
Discord sighed. He arose to get up, only to knocked back onto the cloud by a purple missile.
Twilight stood atop of him, smirking, "Gotcha."
Discord lifted his head off of the cloud, holding it, "How'd you find me?"
Twilight sat down, bearing a proud look, "Scrying spells aren't that tricky to pull off. And, did you really think a transparency shield would be enough to fool me?"
Discord smirked, "It was worth a try, was it not?" He wrapped his mismatched arms around the alicorn, holding her close.
Twilight smiled, laying her head down on his furry, brown chest, "I suppose. Though, you'll have to do better next time."
"Duly noted." He brought his head close to hers, planting a kiss on the top of her mane.
"Can we head back to the castle now?"
Discord squeezed her tight, "Oh, I don't know. I kinda like it up here."
Twilight rolled her eyes, "As much as I like it up here as well, I would really like to head back."
"Oh, all right." He sat up as Twilight jumped off of him.
She walked over to the edge of the cloud they were standing on.
"The palace is right over there." Twilight spread her wings, bending her legs. "Race you."
Discord stood up, shaking his head, "Oh, no. That's a terrible idea."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, smiling, "Why? You scared you're going to lose?"
"Me? Lose? Oh, Twilight! Your sense of humor has improved dramatically."
She shrugged, "Side effect of hanging out with you. So, you gonna put your money where your mouth is?"
Discord walked to the edge of the cloud, "No. I don't have any money."
He jumped off the cloud, hovering for a few seconds. He smirked, grabbing Twilight.
Twilight squealed, "DISCORD! What are you doing? Let me go."
"Hold on tight." With that brief warning, Discord's wings folded up, and the two of them plummeted towards the ground below, traveling downward at great speeds.
Twilight screamed loudly, her eyes shut tight. "AHHHH!"
"What in the world are you screaming about, my dear?"
Twilight's eyes opened, and she realized that they were already on the ground.
She teleported out of Discord's hands, "You're so mean."
Discord winked, "You know it."
~~~~~
Rainbow leaned against the window, keeping an eye out for Discord and Twilight.
"Are they coming?"
"No."
"Are they coming now?"
"No."
"How about now?"
"No."
"Now?"
Rainbow Dash groaned, "Ugh, NO! They're not coming yet!"
Pinkie frowned, "No need to be grumpy, Dashie. I want them to come, too. Just be patient. They'll be here soon."
Rainbow grumbled something under her breath, but it was unheard by Pinkie.
She looked back out of the window. Her eyes widened.
"What the hay?"
"What is it?"
Rainbow yelped, as Pinkie appeared right next to her, being held aloft by several colorful balloons.
Pinkie giggled then peered out the window, "Is that Discord?"
Rainbow quirked an eyebrow, "You mean, that thing that's currently plunging towards the ground at breakneck speeds?"
"Uh, yeah?"
Rainbow nodded, "I'd say so."
Pinkie squinted her eyes, "Well, they're on the ground now. It looks like Twilight's talking to him. Aaaaand, now it looks like they're heading this way."
"I'll tell the others."
Rainbow zoomed off towards the dining hall.
About seven and a half minutes later, the double doors opened.
Discord held the door open, allowing Twilight to walk in.
As soon as Twilight stepped into her castle, she began sniffing.
"What's that smell?"
Discord smirked, "I don't know, dear. What's it smell like?"
"Burnt fabric."
Discord's smirk immediately fell from his face, "What? No, it's not." He took a good whiff of the air.
He turned his nose up in disgust, "Oh...that's not right."
Twilight furrowed her eyebrows, "I hope Spike didn't sneeze fire again." She sniffed again, "Okay, now there's a new aroma in the air. But, I can't quite put my hoof on it."
Discord nudged her with his tail, "Why don't we try to find out?"
He allowed her to start walking, waiting until she was out of hearing range.
He quickly pulled out the crystal ball and rubbed it.
Fluttershy appeared on the surface. "Um, hello?"
"You mares had better be ready. She's heading there now."
Fluttershy gulped, "Uh...now?"
"YES, NOW!" He shouted a little too loudly, startling Fluttershy and Twilight.
Twilight turned around, "Discord?"
Discord stiffened up. He turned to face her, his front side away from her. "Uh, yeah? I'll catch up with you, Twi. Track down the source of this smelly situation."
Twilight kept her weary eyes on him, walking away and turning the corner.
Discord turned back to the orb, "Sorry about that. Now, she should arrive any moment. Are you all ready?"
Fluttershy hid behind her mane, "Um, n-no?"
Discord slapped his head hard, "For the love of chaos, how much more time do you need?!"
"Uh..."
"She's coming!" Pinkie whisper-screamed.
Discord groaned, rolling his eyes.
He quickly flashed away and reappeared next to Twilight.
The purple alicorn yelped, shooting five feet into the air.
"DISCORD! What did I tell you?"
Discord waved her off, "Yeah, yeah. It's not nice, yadda yadda yadda. No need to give me a second lecture."
Twilight huffed, "Well, I think I've located the source of the smell. It's coming from the dining hall."
Discord breathed in and out.
Well, it's now or never.
Despite his hesitance, he gave Twilight a smile. "The dining hall, you say? Well, let's see if your theory is correct."
He pushed the doors open with both of his hands.
Twilight gasped loudly, her eyes widening in total shock.
A banner saying Happy Birthday, Twilight was being held aloft in Rarity's magic.
Rainbow Dash was on the ground, holding a tray of smooshed cake in her hooves.
Pinkie was currently floating in the air with balloons strapped around her midsection, causing her hindquarters to rise above her.
On the top of Applejack's hat were perched four or five birds.
Fluttershy was next to her, cowering in fear.
Spike's eyes were covered by his claws.
Aside from that, streamers were strewn every which way, and confetti was spread all over the crystal floor.
Discord grimaced, looking over at Twilight, trying to read her reaction.
Twilight blinked, "Well...this was...unexpected."
Discord coughed, "You can say that again."
The Princess of Friendship walked into the dining hall, an amused smile on her face, "What exactly happened here?"
All at once, her friends all inputted their side of story.
Twilight rubbed her forehead as the many voices talking at once gave her a headache.
She held up her hooves, "All right, enough! I'm not even going to ask."
Discord groaned, "Good gravy, mares! I'm not even around, and chaos is happening! I'd normally be thrilled, but not in this case. This party was supposed to be perfect. And, I'm not even the one who ruined it."
Spike rubbed the back of his head, "Well, everything happened all at once."
Twilight blinked, turning to Discord, "Wait, what? Hold on. Whose idea was this?"
Everypony and dragon in the room gave a knowing smile, looking directly at Discord.
Rarity giggled, stifling her laughter with her hoof, "Well, darling, this whole surprise was organized by none other than Discord here."
Twilight gawked, "You put this all together?"
Discord smiled sheepishly, "Well, I can't take all the credit. Spike came up with the idea in the first place. I kinda just took off with it."
Twilight put a hoof to her chest, smiling affectionately, "Oh, Discord. You didn't have to do this."
Discord looked off to the side in shame, looking at the ponies in front of him, each giving him an encouraging nod.
He sighed, "Yes, I did. 'Cause, I, uh - kindaforgotaboutyourbirthday."
Twilight tilted her head at the rapid jumble of words that had come out of Discord's mouth.
"Uh, could you repeat that?"
He sighed again, "I forgot about your birthday."
Twilight's eyes softened, "Discord - "
" Please, dear, I'm being serious here. Allow me to continue."
Twilight relented, giving him a nod.
Discord rubbed his arm, "It's not like I forgot on purpose. I'd never do that. But, well, in case you haven't noticed by now, I kinda have a low attention span."
Twilight rolled her eyes, a knowing smile on her face.
"So, well, I wanted to make it up to you. You - you mean a lot to me, Twilight. And, well, I'd hate to see what we have end because I accidently forgot your birthday."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking - "
"I'm not done yet. You can comment afterwards." Discord clasped his hands behind his back.
"Anywho, yesterday I spent the entire day with Spike, making sure everything was perfect, despite it going against everything I stand for."
He narrowed his eyes, "Unfortunately, all that work is now meaningless thanks to noponies in particular." He sent a nasty glare to the other mares in the room.
Rainbow frowned, "Hey, it's not my fault Fluttershy's birds went haywire."
Fluttershy turned her head away from Rainbow angrily, "Loud noises scare them, Rainbow. Like a mare yelling, for starters."
Rainbow growled, "Well, if a certain somepony hadn't been driving me up the wall, maybe I wouldn't have yelled." She narrowed her eyes at Pinkie.
Pinkie crossed her hooves, still tied to the balloons, "Who are you talking about? All I did was ask you a question. IS THAT SO WRONG?!"
"You mean a bunch of questions."
Applejack raised an eyebrow at Rarity, "We'd have an eatable cake if somepony had kept an eye on the crystal orb."
Rarity gaped at her, visibly offended, "How dare you accuse me! I'm not responsible for that."
Rainbow flew over to her, "Who was that that volunteered to take care of it? Hmmm. Let me think."
"ENOUGH!!!"
The arguing mares immediately ceased their bickering. Even Discord had to take a step back at the sheer volume of that yell.
Twilight huffed, "Thank you. Now, look, I don't really care who did what. I didn't need any of this."
She exhaled, turning to Discord with a smile. "Discord, I don't blame you for forgetting. Honestly, it wasn't that much of a surprise."
That caused Discord to cringe, but he let her continue.
"But, I definitely wasn't expecting all of this. You did all of this, " she gestured to the somewhat decorated room, "for me."
She chuckled, "I'd imagine any other stallion going to extreme measures to make up for forgetting, but you? I must say, I am flattered."
Twilight flew up to look him in the eye, "But, like I said, I didn't need all of this. And, yet, you went through all of this trouble. I wasn't going to be mad. Not even a little bit. Because, I know you, Discord. And, well, the Lord of Chaos in unpredictable. You don't know what he's going to do next."
Discord stared at her with affection, smiling, "Well, I know what I'm going to do now."
Twilight, anticipating what he had in mind, instantly leaned forward. Their lips met as their eyes closed in bliss.
Rarity and Pinkie gushed at the romance.
Fluttershy simply smiled, taking care to cover Spike's eyes.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack chuckled under their breaths.
Discord and Twilight eventually parted.
He stroked her mane, "So, did you have a good birthday?"
Twilight smiled, leaning her head against his chest, "Yes, and it just got better."
